Friday, May 04, 2007

Never slow down to look during accidents

Our FM radio stations in Malaysia usually broadcast traffic reports during peak hours so that motorists can be forewarned about any traffic congestion. Not that the warning can be of any use as there aren't a lot of alternatives route to use. Even if you know that route is congested, you still need to drive into the congestion, just that you are well informed beforehand.

Sometimes, they will also announce accidents that happen on certain stretch of a road. I noticed that they will also give a general advice to the motorists and persuade everyone not to slow down and look. They comment that Malaysian drivers have this mentality to slow down and look at traffic accidents, therefore causing traffic to slow down and causing massive traffic jams.

However, when you really think about it, shouldn't we all slow down when an accident happen? If you see a car crash, should you just resume your normal speed and drive through the site without observing the crash? Wouldn't the victim of the accident need help? Is it common in most developed countries to ignore accident victims?

Actually, I really feel embarrassed that we never ever stop to help strangers. How many of you will stop your car and help if you see a motorcyclist being knocked down? How many of you will try to help if you see a snatch theft? Most people will ask you not to be so "gei poh" as you will "attract a lot of trouble" by helping. Is this how we should behave in the society? Where is all the kindness we studied during our Moral education in school? Had all that education gone to waste?

If an accident happen, traffic will tend to slow down. It is a fact. Small roads plus obstructions at the road side because of accidents will slow down traffic. It is absolute rubbish to speed past accidents. It is because the roads have no emergency lanes and there is no proper authorized personnels to remove those obstructions that cause traffic congestions, not because the drivers slow down to look. Everyone in every country will look, if they are human. This is because they are only human if they are curious and have a heart.

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